


A Loving Winterglow

by TeaAndATale



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Steggy - Freeform, Steggy Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 10:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13234077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaAndATale/pseuds/TeaAndATale
Summary: Peggy has some news she plans to share with Steve as a Christmas surprise.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GatorJen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GatorJen/gifts).



> Steggy Secret Santa 2017 for gatorjen.
> 
> Happy Belated Christmas and Happy New Year to @gatorjen, who asked for happy Steggy. Sorry this took so long to share with you, but I hope this starts your 2018 off with some cheer!
> 
> If you'd like to read with a soundtrack, I suggest Winterglow by Grant-Lee Phillips, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIIpKP3IFlE which helped the words to flow and form.

 

_*_

_Nothing looks so pretty as the winter stars a glittering_  
_Smiling on the two of us below_  
_And your eyes are like a child again_  
_Giving you a lovely winterglow_  
**_\- Grant-Lee Phillips, "Winterglow"_ **

_*_

 

Peggy considered her news as Steve slept. She’d hatched the idea, the broad strokes of it anyway, the moment she received confirmation, but still she considered how exactly to share it with Steve.

She lay awake with a smile, fingers running through the short blond hairs at his nape, Steve’s bare chest pressed against her. Since their reunion little over five months ago in this new century, they’ve been inclined to keeping in close physical contact. A long separation ensured that new habit.

Peggy had considered telling him the moment he returned home earlier that day, had even been set on it up until the moment she saw him. The lights were on and the radio played in the background, sure signals that Steve was finally home from his mission. He stuck his head out of the kitchen in greeting and she made a beeline to him, pulling him in by his shoulders for a deep kiss. He dutifully dropped the sandwich he had been making and swept her off her feet, their mouths never parting. And then her news fell to the wayside, forgotten, content to stay put a little longer under wraps. After weeks apart, both were too content to be consumed by each other.

She considered it again later that same evening, after they could stand to stay several feet apart. Steve had been singing along to Christmas music while making her a cup of tea. She’d remembered the way he’d given excited and wistful glances at the Christmas tree sales that popped up across street corners of Manhattan. She thought of presents under the tree, hanging stockings and the thrill of Father Christmas’ surprises.

She was confident about turning her news into a Christmas surprise as Steve snored softly against her clavicle as she held him close. The wintry wind came in through the window they left open for Steve’s sake, rustling the curtains but Peggy wasn’t cold, not when she has her own personal furnace fast asleep against her. She watched his slack expression with a smile, faint tinkling of jingle bells floating up from down below.

The weeks until Christmas had crept away, tinsel and lights covering every windowfront in the city. With little over a week left, their place had no decorations and no sign of a holiday celebration to come, not with the hours they both were pulling. The fact was that they had spent more nights apart in the last few weeks than together, work keeping them both busy and away from home. But now, finally, they were home together.

With Steve home from his overseas mission, Peggy purposefully managed to take a few days off. They had agreed it was about time they put some effort into making some holiday cheer of their own. The occasion called for it, their first Christmas together in this lifetime, their first real Christmas celebration at all, not counting those improvised celebrations they had with the boys on the Western Front. Those were sweet memories that still warmed her heart, but this required in her opinion, a more purposed effort.

This called for an abundance of cheer.

And it started with getting a tree.

 

The sun hadn’t even risen as they drove out of the city limits headed for upstate New York equipped with bagels and the schoolchildren grins of those embarking on a Christmas adventure. It was a beautiful ride through the quiet morning in the Hudson Valley, Steve manning the holiday music choices as Peggy drove. She’d spent an embarrassing amount of time looking up Christmas tree farms for them to visit to find their tree. But she wanted it to be perfect, and she wanted to do with Steve, away from the distractions of the city. It was easily justified when they drove into the picturesque farm’s grounds, trees as far as the eye could see.

Steve grinned and took her gloved hand in his.

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.”

She snorted, squeezing his hand as they walked through the entrance. They sat touching on the wagon ride that took them deep into the rows of towering evergreen trees. Both were quiet as they observed the farm’s grounds and listened to the chatter of families planning their own Christmas traditions.

“Do you remember decorating trees as a kid, all those years ago?” he asked her quietly. “Ma and I made ornaments together every year. We didn’t have a lot of money to get real ones, and Ma only had a few of the ones her parents left her. But it didn’t matter. We’d go all out. Paper chains, cellophane cutouts. It always made the tree special.”

“Michael and I would fight over who'd be the one to put the star atop the tree. One year I snuck out of my bed in the middle of the night, climbed the mantle of our fireplace and stuck the star as near the top as I could reach just so I could beat my brother for once.”

Steve snorted. “Of course you did.”

She grinned back at him. He tightened his hold on her hand, and she leaned over to rest her head against his shoulder.

The idea came to her in a flash, potent and perfect. She knew exactly how she would present her news.

“Perhaps we could make some ornaments together this year.”

He smiled brightly at her suggestion.

At the end of the ride, once all the kids ran down the steps with their parents rushing after them, Peggy and Steve joined the crowd on the hunt for the perfect tree. Steve picked up the saw in one hand, then with a grin and an arched eyebrow, he looped his arm around hers and they headed into the thick of the trees.

They walked into the grouping of grand Noble firs, soft flakes started to fall from the gray sky. Peggy laughed as Steve stuck his tongue out to catch one on his tongue.

“Did I ever tell you about the time my brother dared me to lick a lamppost?”

“No!”

She nodded, lifting her free gloved hand up to catch a few snowflakes. “Not my proudest moment. But Michael had dared me. And he promised me that the snow would taste like ice cream.”

“How old were you?”

“Four or so.”

“Yup, I bet four-year-old Peggy was a force to be reckoned with."

“You have no idea.”

“So what happened?”

''I got stuck. It's hard to scream with your tongue attached to a large metal pole. But my crying must have scared Michael because he immediately ran home for help after shouting at me not to move. My grandmother was the closest. Fifteen minutes and a hot water bottle later, she carried me home, twisting Michael’s ear all the way to his room. She gave Michael a proper punishment and no pudding for a week. My mother on the other hand seemed more upset with my unladylike behavior to be quite honest.” She shook her head. “I was furious with Michael for weeks. Not only had he lied to me, but he made a fool of me in front of the whole neighborhood. He played knights and dragons with me all winter long trying to make it up to me.”

Steve shook his head. “Life’s always an adventure with you Peg.”

She nudged him with her shoulder.

“Like you’ve ever resisted a dare Steve Rogers.”

He grinned sheepishly. “I guess we’re just kindred spirits.”

A piece of blond hair fell over his forehead, wet from the snow. She rose up on her tiptoes to brush it back, pausing to touch his cheek, watching his eyes flutter closed for a moment.

After a moment they continued on.

Peggy nearly spilled the surprise watching Steve’s face light up as a man carried a toddler on his shoulders just a few feet in front of them. She watched his smile grow as the tiny boy babbled, grasping his father's hair with one tiny pudgy hand, and the other holding a handful of pine needles. She had to pretend to be seriously considering a spruce to her right to prevent her mouth from opening.

They finally found a tree that suited them both, a Spruce just taller than Steve himself, full and plush branches just waiting to be decorated. Instead of waiting for the wagon to return, Steve hauled the tree up with ease, still having a free hand to hold hers. She smiled at him, matching him step for step, their boots crunching in tandem on the snowy path.

“I could use some food,” he mentioned with a grin once the tree is securely strapped to the car. “Definitely some coffee at least.”

She found herself pressing against him in a rush of affection. She was certain it had very little do with the promise of food and coffee, though her stomach rumbled.

“Let's go eat.”

They drove into the nearest town square, pulling up to a quaint and cozy diner. A toy train whizzed by them at the window sill next to their booth. She felt warm and happy, reaching across for Steve's hand as they both eyed the diner's extensive menu with hungry eyes. Neither resisted the temptation of fluffy pancakes, especially Christmas tree shaped ones, a dusting of powdered sugar atop, mirroring their real tree outside.

There’s a warmth to the diner’s atmosphere. The servers were kind, attentive and offered up plenty of suggestions of attractions in the area, even tips for caring for their tree.

“This is nice isn't it?”

He nodded, looking around the diner's decorated interior. “It's a beautiful place. Peaceful. Good place for families I bet.”

She pursed her lips in a thoughtful smile before hiding it behind her mug of coffee. “Do you think so? Compared to New York?” she asked in an even tone.

He shrugged. “I loved growing up in the city. But big backyards, a wrap-around porch and this gorgeous backdrop? That sure sounds idyllic too. Didn’t you say your childhood home in Hampstead had a wooded area part as part of the yard?”

She nodded. “There were plenty of trees to climb.”

He shrugged. “It sounds really nice.”

The made their way back to the city after a quick peak around the town square, the tree a green umbrella. They made it back just after lunchtime, plenty of time at Peggy’s insistence for a nap together before they started working on the decorations.

Steve hoisted the tree into the living room and carefully into the stand he bought for it the other day. Though she knew Steve was bouncing with energy, giddy with excitement to finally decorate, he joined her in bed without complaint, holding her close as she shut her eyes.

He was awake when she opened her eyes some time later, still holding her close, his fingers brushing gently through her hair. They were distracted a bit longer from the planned decorating by drawn out kisses. She let herself indulge. They had time.

“Let’s get to work darling,” she finally suggested.

He leapt out of bed making her laugh as she followed him. There’s something magical about the tree, even bare, awaiting their handiwork. She thought of her childhood and it dawned on her that she and Steve now had the chance to start their own traditions. It dawned on her that their family was already beginning to grow.

Her heart thumped in anticipation, her head full of a tiny giggling baby being held high by Steve. Without even realizing it, her hand drifted to her stomach.

While she put on the kettle, Steve carried in two large bags she didn’t recognize.

“What are those and where did they come from?”

He grinned sheepishly. “I might have bought a few decorations.”

She bit her lip in amusement “Just a few?”

He shrugged, digging out ribbon, garlands and boxes of multicolored ornaments. While she unwound the strings of lights, Steve perused his art supplies for ornament making.

“One year, Ma and I made an Advent Calendar out of our ornaments. Some had wishes and others had what were thankful for written on them. We put one up every day of December up until Christmas.”

“That’s a lovely idea. Mum always preferred to keep to a theme. One year we had made ornaments at school. My cherry red scribbles definitely didn’t suit her snowy white tree that year.”

Once the tree was dressed with lights, Steve and Peggy both getting tangled up in them several times before they found a rhythm to winding them neatly around the tree, they started on their handmade ornaments. Steve fished out clear ornaments from his purchases, easily painting two while Peggy painstakingly planned the one she had in mind. She wasn’t nearly as artistic as Steve who’d easily painted their faces on one ornament, full of detail and likeness. She wouldn’t be able to match his creativity, but she was determined to make this memorable.

In perfect loopy penmanship she spelled out her message when suddenly she had an idea. She excused herself ostensibly to return a missed call from the office, only to call up Pepper from the bathroom for help on using the fancy printer Tony had supplied when Peggy had decided that a home office would aid some of her long hours.

She found Steve singing along to White Christmas, glittery garland hanging around his neck as he very careful hung ornaments.

She gripped her finally finished ornament tight and took a breath.

Then she stepped to him, touching the small of his back.

“It looks lovely darling.”

He flashed a smile at her. “It’s definitely getting there. Is everything alright at work?”

“Yes, yes, they’re managing just fine,” she said dismissively. She felt her pulse race and after a beat she spoke again. “Do me a favor, darling? Since you’ve got a better eye for this sort of thing, can you find the perfect spot for this one?”

He took it from her, still studying her and not her handiwork.

“I’m sure we’ll find—”

Her heart leap into her throat in excitement as Steve’s voice dropped off. His eyes had screwed up in concentration as if he had difficulty reading the four words written in green and red.

“I don’t—” She could hear him swallow.

“Sound it out darling,” she teased.

He read it aloud. “Baby’s first Christmas ornament.”

His jaw fell open and he brought the ornament closer to his eyes. For a moment he was still and silent. Then he broke into cheerful laughter.

“You’re pregnant!” The grin threatened to spill off his face. He let out another laugh, shaking his head as if to clear it. Then he pulled her off her feet, spinning her around. “You’re really pregnant?” he asked once her feet touched the floor.

She nodded. “That’s a real sonogram. Well a copy of the sonogram in any case.”

He kissed her hard, again and again until she was giggling against him.

“Peggy!” he exclaimed with another laugh. It was contagious. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I love you. I love you both so much.”

They could hardly keep their hands off each other, just as they’d been since reuniting, the fervor at full potency once again. A new reason for joy. Another reason.

“I can’t believe it,” he murmured from their spot cuddled up on the couch facing their tree, Peggy’s ornament prominently displayed.

“It’s quite a development,” she agreed.

He gently touched her stomach. “I just… A baby. We’re going to be parents to some incredible little human being.” He brushed his lips to her neck. “Thank you. For being here with me. For being my family.”

She felt Steve grinning as he kissed her. When he broke away to look at her she saw just how wide and wondrous his eyes were.


	2. Chapter 2

Peggy was straightening Steve’s bow tie, his matching handkerchief and smoothing down his lapels in their bedroom, the final touches before they left for the evening. 

“I suppose I’ll need to find some suitable excuse for not drinking,” she said, “though I’m not sure what will be the most believable.”

They were headed to Tony’s lavish Christmas party. In the days since telling Steve he was going to be a father, they had hardly left the house. No one else, apart from Peggy’s doctor knew they were expecting. 

Steve hummed. “Because you’re going to drive us home?”

“Steve we’re taking a cab.”

“Oh right,” he said sheepishly. 

“And even so, there’s no realistic reason I’d be the designated driver when I have you.”

He pursed his lips in thought. “I’ll run inference. We can get some sparkling cider. It looks plenty like Champagne. And I’ll make sure to be the one to refill your drink.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” she agreed. “I just don’t want to field the gossip and questions quite yet. You know that right Steve? I am very happy about this.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I know Peg. It’s nice to keep it just to ourselves a little longer.”

They stopped to buy a nice bottle of wine as a hostess gift for Pepper, who Peggy knew would need it before the end of the night knowing Tony, as well as the bottle of sparkling cider that Steve slipped away into his jacket pocket. 

Their outfits coordinated, both opting for a touch of red, Steve in his tie and Peggy in her form-fitting red dress. 

They were nowhere near as festively dressed as Tony, whose garish red and green suit called for everyone’s attention, everyone on the entire island of Manhattan. 

“Rogers. Auntie,” he greeted formally, his arms outstretched. “Can’t imagine you two ever had a Christmas party this epic. Welcome to the twenty-first century.”

Peggy reached over to straighten Tony’s mistletoe printed tie, then his Santa hat, before swatting at his check.

“Don’t think you’re so original Anthony. I’ve attended enough of Howard’s shindigs to know just where you’ve inherited your theatrics and ideas from.”

Steve grinned and followed her as she wound a way through the partygoers. The Tower was crowded, not just with people but several twelve-foot Christmas trees and tables full of food. They made their way to a table, feasting on appetizers with Pepper, Natasha, Bruce, Clint and Maria. 

Though both Bruce and Clint left to join some of Tony’s festivities, Steve remained at Peggy’s side, refilling her glass and bringing new plates of food until the ladies shooed him away claiming the need for girl talk. Steve searched Peggy’s face only getting up when she nodded reassuringly. 

“If you need anything…” he trailed off quietly.

“I know,” she said smiling. 

He couldn’t help feeling proud when they received a chorus of awws when he kissed her cheek. He missed what exactly Natasha said that caused the table to break out into giggles, but he enjoyed the tiny and rare blush that spread on Peggy’s cheeks. It took all his self-control to not march back over to the table and pull her into his arms. 

He joined Sam at the pool tables, chatting and shaking hands with the large group of World War II veterans Tony announced he invited so Steve would have someone to talk to that understood his dated references. Steve shrugged not understanding Tony’s joke when he was enjoying their company immensely. 

He’s not entirely sure when Thor started handing out drinks, proclaiming his newfound love for the spiked eggnog. Steve didn’t think twice about it. He enjoyed the taste and between the pool tournament, and the chatter he found himself enjoying the party. 

A while later, after a long conversation with Maria about their careers, Peggy noticed something was odd, even from across the room. She knew Steve, his mannerisms more intimately than anyone. They were one of the few physical things that had never changed in him. Steve had been glowing, cheeks full and bright, ever since the universe decided to give them a second chance, though she was sure she’d never seen him glow the way he had since she announced they were going to have a baby. And because of that, she couldn’t quite place what was bothering her.

“And what’s going on here?” she asked Sam as she made her way closer.

“Thor challenged him to a push-up contest. Then an eggnog drinking contest.”

Peggy hummed. “And what exactly is in the eggnog?”

Sam shrugged. “Bourbon I think. It’s not bad.”

Peggy pursed her lips and watched Steve carefully. He had been beaming at her from across the room, until she noticed him pointing in her direction. Sam snickered at her side.

“Peggy!” Steve exclaimed so loudly it caught her off guard. “Fellas, look it’s Peggy!”

The group of gentlemen Steve’s biological age greeted her cheerfully, many reaching out to shake her hand.

“Well isn’t she just the bee’s knees,” one grinned, elbowing Steve meaningfully. It might have been annoying if it hadn’t caused Steve to grin so openly. His smile was loose and wide in a way Peggy rarely saw him show in public. 

“She’s something else,” he said nodding proudly. “She’s my girl,” he continued unabashedly to his audience. “My best girl. She’s the best. Peggy is something else.”

She blinked at the sudden openness, her cheeks feeling a little warm. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know exactly how Steve felt about her. She hadn’t been questioning it. Not in decades. But she’d never hear him boast so openly about her being his girl. 

She noticed Thor’s tall frame watching Steve in amusement. It looked like he was even giggling. Thor caught Peggy eyeing him and he winked at her before disappearing into the crowd.

“Alright there darling?” she asked as she approached the group.

“Hiya Peggy. Where have you been? I missed you!” he beamed at her, his eyes wide and shiny. “Isn’t she wonderful? I never could figure out how she keeps her hair curled so perfectly,” he told the older gentleman standing to his right. “But I sure dreamed about running my fingers through them every day since I met her. I was telling all the boys about how we met. It was my first day at boot camp. She knocked a private clean off his feet. Private Gilmore Hodge fell into the dirt and never really recovered.” He sighed dreamily. “I loved her even then.”

His voice, louder than his natural cadence, was genuine, still with a softness. She found her stomach fluttering.

“I thought about you almost all of my free time.”

She felt her face heat up. 

“Steve…”

“And then you made the dangerous decision to smile back at me in the jeep after I got the flag down. I had just caught my breath only for you to knock the wind outta me again.” Steve sighed again. “And when you were taking notes or listening to the Colonel talk, there was this serious look in your eyes. Passion. It made my heart stutter all the way across camp.”

Peggy, despite herself, blushed. Deep and bright red.

She’d never hear him talk quite like this, definitely not in front of an audience. 

“You were so beautiful when I was at bootcamp. You know that? Perfect in your perfect uniform.”

“I’ve always enjoyed a woman in uniform,” one of Steve’s contemporaries says proudly, garnering a chuckle out of the group.

“I’ll say. Spitefires, the whole of them. I remember this one gal—”

Peggy excused them from the reminiscing, pulling Steve aside a few feet away for privacy. He stumbled before catching himself, his eyes a little glassy as he met her gaze.

Steve was drunk. Very drunk. And it occurred to her that she’d never actually experience Steve drunk. They never had a drink before his procedure and there was no way for him to become intoxicated after that.

Which begged the question, how was he so drunk? She intended to find out how exactly that was possible.

“Steve? Darling what have you been drinking? Are you feeling well?”

Steve raised his cup and smiled. “Just some eggnog. I feel great Peg. Better than ever. I’m so glad we came.”

She nodded impatiently. “Yes, yes. And is there anything special in that eggnog?”

He shrugged. “Thor shared some mead that he said would make it taste better and boy was he right. It is delicious and I would like another.”

“Right…” Peggy searched out Thor in the crowd as Steve chuckled to himself. 

She left Steve in the care of Sam as she went hunting for Thor.

She finally found him, just as loose and joyous as Steve, though admittedly more raucous, near the dancefloor. 

“Merry tidings my fair lady,” he said as she approached him, cutting him off from the lady he has been dancing with.

“Steve’s drunk.”

“Aye. Steve’s countenance rivals mine, but ‘tis not a drink for mere mortals.”

Peggy rolled her eyes. Of course he had caused Steve to get drunk for the first time in decades.

“And you thought this was a good idea?”

“He’s feeling jolly,” Thor said with a smile as if that was enough.

“He hasn’t been drunk in over seventy years! Don’t you think you might have considered some moderation?!”

She turned on her heel without awaiting his reply.

By the time she returned to Steve’s side, word that Captain America was drunk seemed to have spread. She found Natasha standing nearby watching with amusement nursing her own drink. Then Tony appeared at Steve’s side, ribbing him only to be met with Steve’s good natured drunk responses.

Tony groaned. “Of course you’re as swell a man drunk as you are sober. Figures. Tell me, what is it that keeps you so damn jolly Pops?”

Steve giggled, bouncing on his heels, and she already knew what he was going to say.

“Well you know, Peggy and I are going to have a new bundle of joy you know.”

Steve was too drunk to sense any change in the atmosphere as the crowd broke out into gasps and all turned to stare at her. 

With all eyes expectantly on her, Peggy blushed again.

“No shit? Rogers knocked you up Carter?” Tony asked mouth gaping.

She narrowed her eyes at him and continued her way toward Steve. 

“Hiya Peg.”

“Darling,” she said calmly, smoothing out his jacket. “I thought we were going to keep that surprise to ourselves a little longer.”

His loose grin tightened slightly, as he processed her words. “Aw, Peg. No I wasn’t supposed to say nothin’!”

She took his hand, somehow suddenly amused at his current state. There was something there in Tony’s comment about Steve’s inebriated gushing, teddy bear demeanor. 

“It’s quite alright darling.”

“Peggy, is it really true?” Pepper was the one to ask. 

She turned to their too interested crowd and then back at Steve’s beaming face. 

“Yes, I’m pregnant.”

The party devolved into even further chaos, Tony popping open Champagne bottles she couldn’t drink, and Thor tipping further amber liquid into Steve’s cup. She chose not to say anything, not when Steve dropped his head to her shoulder sighing contentedly. 

“You do know how mad I am about you dontcha Peg?”

She blushed again. “Yes Steve, I do know.”

She demanded Thor’s help as the man responsible for Steve’s inebriated state, in getting him into the cab. He unabashedly grinned at her, winking again after shutting the car’s door. Steve was still grinning wildly, a little giggly as he leaned on Peggy all the way through their front door, his nose brushing the top of her head. 

“You’re real swell Peg.” 

She snorted. “Let’s get you to bed darling.”

“Kay,” he agreed easily, his tone dreamy and sleep-slurred. 

It was an exercise in patience attempting to get a drunk Steve ready for bed. Though he’s mostly still steady on his feet, his hands do not want to cooperate. She undressed him down to his shorts. She would have attempted to pull a nightshirt over him but he’d already crawled his way under the covers, his face still beaming against the pillow. 

Peggy hung up their clothes, changed into her pajamas and then finally crawled into bed with him.

“You know that I love you? Right Peggy? ‘Cause I need you to know before I sleep. And if not, I’m gonna get up and paint it on a banner.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. She thought he’d fallen asleep by now.

“You’ve only announced it tonight to hundreds of people several times tonight alone.”

“Oh!” he mumbled as if surprised. “Good. That’s good ‘cause you deserve the very best. Just like you are. The best.”

She turned them, tucking him against her body, watching him breath in the moonlight.

“Sleep Steve, darling. Baby wants some sleep too.”


End file.
